We enjoyed 9 days of sun-filled San Diego sunshine, and just for good measure – the last day of pure So-Cal rain (just to get us used to coming back to Seattle).

I still have yet to get ALL the photos onto my computer (coming soon!), so I’ll just post a taste from my iPhone. In reverse order of occurrence….

When you have so many bags to carry through the airport and you just want to get home, you have to ask your preschooler to be a big kid and push your toddler in the stroller. It wasn’t easy, since he can’t really see over the top, but he did it! We are so thankful and proud of him. Literally, we had too many bags to carry and were too determined to get one of those carts.

Sara wanted to sit on Alex’s lap during take off and look outside, they were so cute!

The airport was much more fun with stickers….. ummmm….. everywhere….

We enjoyed walking on the Oceanside pier and did the long walk many times. I bought this stroller from a friend of a friend, and so thankful we did! It was great! Sara loved riding in it and it was very easy to get around. It also had a cool preschooler standing ledge on the back where Alex loved to ride when he got “tired”.

This is how Sara loved to lounge around…

Alex found a new love this trip, Angry birds the iPad game. Oh my gosh! He loves getting stars and opening levels. Who knew he would be addicted? How do you wean a 4 1/2 year old off of Angry Birds… we’re about to find out!

Sara and Alex loved sitting at the counter at the condo. They ate breakfast, lunch and dinner there.

Alex went to the Animal park with Dad and Grandpa – our cute little gorilla!

Sara loved the beach. We would ask her if she wanted to go to the beach and she would shake her head yes, and say “beach”. She loved having her toes in the sand and she ate a fair bit of it too!

This was Sara’s favorite ride at Disneyland…

All Alex wanted to do at Disneyland was see Mickey Mouse – and that we did!

Legoland was fun and very nice. Not crowded at all like Disneyland, but there was a lot less things for Sara to do there. The height restrictions were pretty tight and they were checking….

Alex had a blast at Legoland and he could go on most everything. Here – we were going on an airplane ride. There were almost no lines at all on anything… it was great!

Again – walking on the pier was a really fun activity. We saw many pelicans and surfers. This was Alex’s favorite ride!

And, last but not least – the view from Grandma and Grandpa’s condo! Right on the beach.

We signed Sara up for the beloved Wiggle Worms at a local gymnastics gym and have had 2 sessions already. She definitely has a different personality than Alex, and we wondered what it would be like with her.

She absolutely loved it!

It took her a little bit to get to go on the trampoline, but after that – she was off! Loved the foam blocks, the bath of balls, and loved the rings. We have a wiggle worm on our hands!

I have not been blogging as much as I usually do. Things have been extremely busy and it has been difficult for me to sit down and do this. There are so many reasons for this:

First lack of time to take pictures, let alone download them, edit and get them ready for the blog. I have not had my usual inner motivation on this.

Second, the late Fall / early winter “light” just is difficult to work with. I have to get out my flash if I want to take any inside pictures because it’s dark as night in here. Outside is just rainy and wet. I’m having a difficult time thinking the next ~6 months are going to be this way, or worse – colder and wetter. I think I need a vacation in February… hint… hint… somewhere warm and sunny. Anywhere – warm and sunny. Anywhere.

Third, my work life has been b.u.s.y. Good busy, thank goodness it’s ending soon busy, but extremely busy. I’ve been learning a lot and have done some good work. But, it has been challenging. With traveling 3 times in October and a big project that was high profile and not going well at first, my October was shot. Here is to December looking better work wise.

Fourth, I’ve been trying to take care of myself in all of this and have really started to step up my workouts. I’ve started yoga at 6 AM, first going once a week, now trying twice a week. It’s been OK to get up that early, and I love the yoga, but it sure does make me want to go to bed earlier, hence no time for photos/blogging, etc. I have been doing Zumba 2 times a week, or so, and have been loving it. So much fun! But, all this leaves a tired Mama at the end of the day/week.

And Last, but not least - Sara has been sick. Ear infections, fevers, snotty, and now the croup. Which will most likely lead to another ear infection because of all the mucus/snot in her nose and throat. Ear tubes are hopefully coming soon, which should help A LOT. But, this has been difficult.

To try and remedy all this – this past weekend was cold, but sunny. I just caught this wonderful light in the morning, with the rain drops on the trees and it just made everything feel OK.

No fun when you have a fever and don’t feel good – no fun at all! Sara had another ear infection this past week, two days at home with Mom and Dad.

First day was Doctor appointment and first doses of antibiotics, sleepy and just wanted to lay around, not wanting to eat and not wanting to take Tylenol or any medicine. Second day home was party time, antibiotics were kicked in, and it was Mom and Dad all alone to play, party, play all day. She couldn’t go to preschool that day since she had a fever the day before.

Needless to say, we have the ENT(ear nose and throat doctor) appointment scheduled with Children’s Hospital, after 4 ear infections in ~ 4-5 months (and during the summer months, which is not usual). In the month waiting for the appointment (ENT is very hard to get in to see them), we are expecting another. Then, in the month to schedule the surgery, another one.

No fun to have to go through all of this, but ear tubes were a miracle with Alex and we are hoping for the same with Sara.

Sara is watching a cartoon in these pictures below, and fell asleep not long into it. It feels better to sleep leaning up, since laying down flat hurts your ears when you have a bad ear infection.

Wish us luck, another ~ 2 months to wait, but the light at the end of the tunnel (sleep, kid without ear infections) is priceless.

There is a moment, when you see a picture of your own child, after seeing so many of photos of them already, and realize that she is not a baby anymore, but a little girl. That moment is in these pictures below.

She’s so big looking when she wears jeans. She loves her boots and her matching purple coat right now. She’s very interested in everything around her and says “That” and wants you to name it. That, point…. that, point… that, point…. She is interested in colors and the names of colors, obviously purple is one of her favorites right now. But, she LOVES yellow. She also loves Legos – which surprisingly sounds an awful lot like the word yellow when she says it. You have to know the context to tell the difference between yellow (color) and yellow (lego). She is talking up a storm and absorbing language daily. She is so much fun!

I remember this moment well with Alex, when he was about the same age, and when I look at it now - he looks so little.

Every year the firefighters put on a safety fair where they cook up some pancakes and talk to kids (and parents) about safety. There is everything from “change your fire detector batteries”, to electrical safety, to how to turn off your water/gas, to power outage recommendations, etc.

We go every year and it is so much fun. The kids get to see “real” firefighters, climb all over fire trucks and this year was the highlight of them ALL!

Learning how to put out a fire (uhhh… can you say a 4 1/2 year olds dream come true!). Seriously, they started a fire and taught the kids how to use a fire extinguisher. The fire fighters were so wonderful with the kids and taught them how to do everything, yell for 911, take the pin out, aim and pull the trigger. Alex got a really big kick out of it.

Sara was just a little 6 month old baby last time, and the year before that was in uteruo. So, this time around she made sure to do some climbing and exploring of all the fire trucks. No putting out fires this time, but watch out next year!